Amusement parks that are not at Disney World that would be cheaper options than 4 days at Disney

If your are planning a Disney World vacation, naturally, you want to take in everything you possibly can as it relates to the land of the mouse. It can be expensive to go four, five, or six days out of seven. There are other options.

A dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando poses for a picture. Photo by Brian Miller
A dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando poses for a picture. Photo by Brian Miller
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If you are not afraid to take a longer drive, you can head out for a day in Tampa Bay. From aquariums to water parks, Busch Gardens and the fantastic beaches, Tampa has a lot to offer for everyone and gives you a break from the Orlando area.

Tickets to the park range from $75.00 on sale to just around $100.00 per day. There are seasonal pricing and sales that can be even cheaper. Gardens is a more adult oriented park with most of the ride attractions being geared towards adults but there is an area for kids as well.

The Motes Aquarium is in southern Tampa and gives guests an opportunity to "sea" how these aquariums are protecting, preserving, and rescuing creatures that are found in distress along Florida's coast.

Another aquarium option is Clearwater Aquarium. Once the home to the famed Winter, a young dolphin made famous by the movie Dolphins Tale. The dolphin has since passed away but a memorial garden is being constructed.

The Clearwater Aquarium is designed as a rehabilitation aquarium with a focus on returning creatures back to the sea and they are open to the public as well!

While some of this might not be doable, the point is you have options before you run back to Disney, and we all run back to Disney!